First the FBI investigated Hillary Clinton and her use of a home-based email server to conduct secretary of State business – and now the Justice Department’s own watchdog, Inspector General Michael Horowitz, is going to investigate how the FBI handled its email server probe, and whether director James Comey acted inappropriately.

Horowitz said his investigation would determine whether the Justice Department and the FBI abided internal rules and policies regarding their look at Clinton, and whether Comey, who made several public statements about his department’s findings and conclusions about the national security risks of the server, spoke out of turn.

Inspector General Michael Horowitz will be looking at James Comey’s handling of Hillary Clinton’s email server scandal.

Comey, in the midst of July campaign season, announced Clinton and her staff were “extremely careless” in their handling of sensitive State Department messages, but that he did not recommend prosecution. Comey followed that with a letter to Congress in late October announcing intent to look again at the security risks associated with Clinton’s server, because of discovered emails on a laptop belonging to Anthony Weiner, husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin, that were tied to State business. Two days before the election, Comey announced no other charges were forthcoming.

But the Clinton campaign has long called Comey’s handling of the case as inappropriate and a key reason why her popularity with voters fell.

“The IG also will investigate whether the work of an FBI deputy director whose wife received financial support in her state election from a close Clinton ally was appropriate and whether the Department of Justice’s assistant attorney general, who was close to Clinton campaign chair John Podesta, should have been recused from matters.

“Additionally, Horowitz said he’ll be examining allegations of FBI leaks.

“Horowitz said the review came in response to multiple requests from ranking members of Congress. …

“Comey said he welcomed the review.

“‘I hope very much he is able to share his conclusions and observations with the public because everyone will benefit from thoughtful evaluation and transparency regarding this matter,’ he said of Horowitz in a statement.”